MALAYSIAN STATE CARRYING OUT ORANG UTAN POPULATION CENSUS

KUCHING (Malaysia), March 5 (Bernama) -- East Malaysia Sarawak is carrying
out a population census on the Orang Utan, or 'the wild man of the forest in
Borneo', to determine their number in the state, Sarawak Forestry Corporation
(SFC) Managing Director and CEO Len Talif Salleh said WEdnesday.

He said it was an initiative taken by SFC.

"It's time to compile an inventory of the Orang Utan population in the
state. It's population has shown an increase as conservation and rehabilitation
programmes initiated and carried by Sarawak, Sabah, and Indonesia to provide
specific habitat for Orang Utan, prove to be a success," he told reporters here
Wednesday.

Earlier, he attended the launching of a "Seminar of Biodiversity of Eastern
Lanjak Entimau-Hidden Jewel of Sarawak' by State Assistant Minister of Planning
and Resources Management Mohamad Naroden Majais here.

The state has an estimated Orang Utan population of 2,000, where the biggest
concentration of the Orang Utan population is the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife
Sanctuary (LEWS).

On allegations that Sarawak was allowing the clearing of forests for logging
and oil palm cultivation, which affected the Orang Utan's habitat, Len dismissed
them as baseless accusations.

He said the state had declared the Orang Utan habitats as national parks,
apart from endorsing the species as fully protected under the Sarawak Forestry
Ordinance.

"Development efforts, either logging or oil palm plantation, in the state
have never destroyed the Orang Utan's habitat. The state government has declared
substantial areas as Orang Hutan's habitat," he said.

Meanwhile, Len said the SFC was investigating reports that turtle eggs were
served at a function last Saturday despite the government's ban on its
consumption in the hope of conserving and protecting the endangered reptile.

"We started the investigation on Monday. At this point in time, I don't want
to say anything until the investigation is complete. We will take action
according to Sarawak's Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998, where all marine
turtles and their eggs are totally protected.

"It is an offence to hunt, kill, capture, and sell the protected animals or
to possess any of their parts," he said.
-- BERNAMA